The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-27
THE GREAT LONDON DAILY.
G. W. Smalley Talks About Tho London
Times and Its Peculiaritics.

G. W. Smalley Talks About Tho London
Times and Its Pcculiaritics.
The position Of the London Times is
unique in journalism. It's circulation is
not stated, but it probably issues about
$4,000 copies each day. This figure, how
ever, does not represent its actual circu-
lation, for tho English newsdealers have
a peculiar system of letting out The
Times. A single copy is sent each morn
ing to four or five persons, each OF whom
pays penny for the privilege of reading
the paper for IN hour or two. This Gus
tom arises from the high price of The
Times, which is pence (6 cents), while
the other papers are sold for penny q
cents) each. The Times, however, has lost
nothing by the prosperous growth of its
rivals; indeed, in one sense, the other
Journals are not rivals, they are but con-
telnporarics. The Times has maintained
itself in power and circulation, notwith-
standing the rapid growth of the penny
press. This may be accounted for in vari-
Gus ways. The Times is the Oldest of the
great English dailies, and the English
man, as you know, reverences m author
ity which comes with age. The Times
has always been the authority in English
journalism, and 1t is almost religious
belief with Englishmen that it must
always be so.
Then, again, it is the policy of The
Times to engage the ablest writer's.
Other journals have individual contribu-
tors as able as those of Tho Times, but 1t
Is the policy of the latter to have the
most and to pay tho most The Standard,
we will say, may have to-day an editorial
on a given topic equal to OF possibly
superior to that of Tho Times, but, On
the whole, the columns of tho latter are
the best written, como nearest to repre-
senting public opinion and have tho most
authentic information. The Times keeps
nearest the popular movement and the
popular opinion; it has its touch Oh the
popular pulse more surely than Its con-
temporaries. 1t may sometimes be out
done in this respect, but not often and
not for long. 1t is also the great organ
of publicity. If the average Englishman
has q letter to write to the press-and Eng
lishmen are proverbial for this-hc sends
it, not to The Telegraph, The Standard,
The Morning Post or The Chronicle, but
to The Times; if he wishes to keep abreast
of the movements of the world he reads
Tho Times each morning. Not that he
neglects other journals, but whether it
agrees with his views or not he looks
upon the Thunderer as necessity.
And yet The Times has it's faults. 1t
is, for one thing, the worst sub.edited
paper in England. I do not think that
we usc the term "sub-adited" very COM
monty in America, but refer to what we
call hero Tho smake up" and other details
of the paper. The Times matter is not
classified. If it contains half dozen COM
municetions, or half dozen items OF
news, or half dozen dispatches pertain
ing to single subject, they will very
likely be found in half dozen portions
of the paper, as if they had wandered in
at haphazard. And 1t is careless about
local news The Times has its peculiari-
ties us well. It is sacred custom, which
has never been and probably never will
be violated, that seems to necessitate in
that journal, however great may be the
pressure of the matter or whatever mighty
event may have occurred, that The Times
shall contain every morning four leading
articles, each q little over q column in
length. For example, one on English
politics, one on Continental politics, one
on an ecclesiastical theme and one upon
literature, art, sciene or social matters.
CIV. Smalley In The Journalist